New Blog...

I have decided to finally change the format of this blog
The old blog will still be 'open' for all to view but won't get updated . All new photos will now go to the new address :

http://saskbirder.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments and support since I started keeping a Blog.
I hope you can all join me at the new one !

Cheers

Nick

More Christmas Bird Counts...

Here are some new photos taken on various Christmas bird counts . The most recent count was at Squaw Rapids , approx 4hrs North of Saskatoon . I only have one more count to go after completing 6 this winter. The 7th will be at Pike Lake.

These were taken on the Harris Count

American Tree Sparrow



Mule Deer Buck



Great Horned Owls , one of which was very well camoflaged.





3 Townsend's Solitaires seen on Boxing Day for the Saskatoon count :







Black-backed Woodpecker at Squaw Rapids



Sharp-tailed Grouse taken yesterday at Pike Lake

Christmas Bird Counts

So far this Winter , I have done counts at Gardiner Dam, The Qu'Apelle Valley/Elbow , Clarke's Crossing , Harris and most recently Saskatoon with another 2 to go until the last one that takes place on January 5th .

Here are a few highlights I managed to see on these counts :

Gyrfalcon - lifer
Eurasian Collared Dove - lifer
Glaucous Gull
American White Pelican
Greater Scaup
Prairie Falcon
Townsend's Solitaire
Hoary Redpoll
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Snowy Owl
Pine Grosbeak

Here are a few photos - with more to come later :

These 2 Pelicans were still at Gardiner Dam when they should have been long gone



Bohemian Waxwings





Common Redpoll - here you can see 2 variations in plumage





One of 5 Eurasian Collared Doves residing in the town of Elbow :



Old Farmhouse near Elbow



Glaucous Gull eating huge fish at Gardiner Dam





Jack Rabbit at Couteau Beach - our last stop on the Gardiner Dam count



Cottontail Rabbits taken during the Qu'Appelle count

Northern Hawk Owl at Aberdeen, Saskatchewan

I have just finished 3 bird counts and have some new photos from those I will post in a few days ( including those of a new bird for my life-list ) but this one couldn't wait..

Finding an Owl from the North in the Saskatoon birding area is a very rare treat , so when I found out there was a Hawk Owl currently residing near the small town of Aberdeen SK. I was very eager to see it.

Today I had the good fortune of getting a ride out there with a friend who has never seen this particular Owl before , so we headed out before lunch and looked for nearly an hour around the outskirts of the town , checking every tree top as we drove around , with no success .
We eventually decided to go through the town itself, and there right in the main entrance , sat on a powerline was the Owl :-)

Pine Grosbeaks

I wasn't sure if I'd see a Pine Grosbeak this Winter , so I was happy when a group of 10 visited a friends feeder near Pike Lake earlier in the week :

Here are a Male and a Female :





Meanwhile , There is still a lone Townsend's Solitaire at Lakeview Park :

Some surprises come in small packages ...

On Monday evening around 6pm , I looked out our living room window , to see how much snow had fallen, when I noticed a small roundish-shaped bird fly almost bat-like against the dim orange glow of the streetlight and into our neighbours Spruce tree. All I saw was the silhouette , but I was convinced I'd seen an Owl , possibly a Northern Saw-whet.
Well , I thought , why not take a look outside and see if there's anything out there .So, armed with a flashlight I searched and searched and found nothing . The only thing I did see were some neighbours giving me some very odd looks :-)

Being so certain of what I'd seen (or maybe just hoping I wasn't seeing things)I decided to try again the next day . So around 3pm.I decided I'd look outside again just incase...
Who cares if its -26º when there might be an Owl next door!
Low and behold about 10ft up on an outer branch of the neighbours spruce tree sat a sleeping puffed up Saw-whet Owl .
This is the first time I've ever seen one in broad daylight , and under such cold conditions. I'm surprised the bird wasn't closer to the trunk of the tree for more shelter , but it seemed to have found a good spot out of the biting wind and I watched as its body breathed in and out in its peacful slumber.
My good friend had just turned up and we both spent 10 minutes watching the sleeping bird as we stood there shivering , until all of a sudden ,half a dozen Chickadees showed up and mobbed the little Owl which then sprang to life and shot off over one of the neighbours houses. The Chickadees didn't want it around that's for sure.
The story doesn't end there though...
Around 6pm the same night , I received a phonecall from my neighbour telling me there was a tiny Owl sitting on a low branch of her tree ! She could see it through her window and was very excited.
It had actully returned to the same tree , so obviously it must have liked it there.
This time though , it was on a different branch , and one that allowed me to improvise with my camera and a flashlight to take a few hurried photos before I froze my fingers. I had literally 5 amazing minutes watching it, when once again it took to the skies and vanished into the night.
I shall keep a watchful eye incase it comes back a third time ...

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Gardiner Dam - 1st December 2007

On Saturday, a hardy bunch of us local birders travelled to Gardiner Dam to see if there were any Winter rarities.
The weather was cold as to be expected and the wind was pretty biting , until it finally eased off by lunchtime.
We managed a very respectable 30 species for the day and beat last years total by 4 .

Highlights for the day :

American White Pelican - 2 bedraggled birds were hunkered down on an island of rocks by the spillway. Why they are still here is anyone's guess.

Ruddy Duck - A lone female was on the open water

Bufflehead - 3 Females were observed

Northern Shrike - possibly 2 . One was definately seen , then our car had a fleeting view of what was a probable Shrike flying away from us.

Snowy Owl - 1 barred bird on a power pole along highway 219.

Snow Bunting - a big flock of 300 birds performing a nice aerial display

Red Crossbill - 3 birds feeding on the pine cones at a local farm

Great Horned Owl - 1 per usual residing at Coldwell Park

Bald Eagle - 8 to 10 birds around Gardiner Dam plus one that spooked some resting Gray Partridge

The Mammal highlight of the day was a Full-grown Female Moose seen on the way home hiding in an Aspen thicket .

I didn't take too many photos as the weather wasn't co-operating too kindly at times, but here are a few I did take :

Moose

Here she is, as seen from the roadside ...



She then decided she didn't like being stared at , and took off ...



Red Crossbill Female



Red Crossbill Male



Snow Bunting